FLORHAM PARK -- The Chiefs on Friday released cornerback Brandon Flowers. The Jets still appear to have a need for a veteran cornerback. Are the Jets interested even a little?

Head coach Rex Ryan wouldn't rule it out.

"Well, I'm happy with what we have," Ryan said after the first day of mandatory minicamp practice on Tuesday. "But I'm not going to shut the door on any player that we think could possibly help our football team. We'll certainly look at it, for sure."

The 28-year-old Flowers spent all six of his NFL seasons in Kansas City, but his time there had been running out. The Chiefs last season began shifting toward bigger, more physical corners. And even though he made his first Pro Bowl in 2013, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Flowers eventually was moved to nickelback on passing downs.

As a sign on his unhappiness, Flowers skipped the team's voluntary offseason program in advance of this week's mandatory minicamp.

The salary-cap-strapped Chiefs let Flowers go to save an estimated $7 million in salary-cap space both this year and in 2015.

Flowers has 17 career interceptions. He had one a year ago.

It looks like Dee Milliner, now in his second season, will man one of the Jets' starting cornerback spots. Journeyman Dimitri Patterson, signed this offseason after being released by the Dolphins, has taken most of the reps with the first team during OTAs and Tuesday's minicamp. But there's also third-round pick Dexter McDougle, and former Patriots second-round pick Ras-I Dowling got some first-team reps last week when Milliner sat out with hamstring tightness.

As many as 10 NFL teams have already shown an interest in signing Flowers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.